Work Ethic In Youth Is Strong


by Challenor - Date: 2010-08-26 - Word Count: 368 Share This!

Popular belief would have it that 16 year-old school leavers are poorly prepared to enter the workplace, with a heavy emphasis on the importance of further education. However, recent research reveals that the majority of employers - two thirds - find that this age group is in fact ready for the workplace, challenging the belief that they lack suitable skill sets or maturity for employment.

The Telegraph reported that a survey of 80,000 businesses across the UK revealed a surprising positive response to 16 year olds entering work. But there is still a downside, with a core of 16 to 18 year olds reportedly not willing to put in a hard day's work, regardless of unemployment figures and the pressures of the recession which means jobs are thinner on the ground. Some of the major problems identified in young employees were not just a poor work ethic but appearance, manners and punctuality. Around half of recruiters identified these flaws in the 2009 survey compared to just a third of the same employers in a 2007 survey.

With youth unemployment at the highest it's been in decades, it's never been so crucial for young people to position themselves positively in the work market. The right attitude was a major problem cited by small businesses seeking to fill posts with young people. The survey was undertaken by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. The chief executive of UKCES Chris Humphries told the press that the overall results revealed employers had a 'positive experience' of hiring 16-18 year olds. He added: "Whilst it is important to continue efforts to make school, college and university leavers as work-ready as possible, it is up to employers to leave their prejudices behind and ensure they make the most of this pool of talent."

It was felt that the demands the recession has put on employees means that employers' expectations are much higher than normal in staff, which could contribute to a rise in businesses citing problems with teenagers' work ethic. The survey said 66% of employers who hired young people found them to be 'well' or 'very well' prepared for the workplace, rising to 74% for the 17 to 18 age bracket and 84% for graduates.

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